John W. Moon, Ouachita County, AR
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SOURCE: Chicago: The Goodspeed Publishing Co., 1889.
Contributed by Carol Smith.
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Ouachita County, Arkansas - from Goodspeed's History of Arkansas
John W. Moon, one of the best known farmers of Marion Township, was born in Madison County, Alabama, May 25, 1836, a son of Jackson
and Sarah (Moon) Moon, also natives of Madison County, the former born in 1814, a son of John and Mary (Lewis) Moon. John Moon was
born in Pennsylvania in 1789, and was a soldier in the War of 1812, and was with Gen. Jackson, at the battle of New Orleans. He was a son of
John and Mary (Horn) Moon, the former of whom was a son of a Quaker (to which sect all of his ancestors belonged), of English descent, who
resided in Pennsylvania. He and six brothers enlisted in the Revolutionary War, contrary to the creed of the Quaker religion, for which they were
ex-communicated. Mary Horn (the great-grandmother of our subject) was a daughter of John Hoof, of Pennsylvania. She died at the advanced
age of one hundred and twelve, when the subject of this sketch was five years old. Jackson Moon was an old planter of Alabama, owning
several hundred acres of land and a number of slaves. He was married to the mother of our subject in 1835. She was the daughter of Joshua and
Sarah (Perkins) Moon the latter lived to be ninety seven years of age. The results of this union were two children, John W. and Nathaniel J,
whom death was caused by falling from a wagon in 1858. The father died May 31, 1839, and his widow afterward married Mr. W. C. Renfroe, of
Alabama, and lived until 1870, dying in Texas. The subject of this sketch was reared on a farm in Alabama until 1849, when his mother and
stepfather moved to Arkansas, locating in this county. When he was eighteen years of age he commenced working for himself at farm labor, and
also by working in a grist and saw mill in Bridge Creek Township. He was married on September 15, 1866 to Elexa Frances Tyson, who was born
in Henry County, Tennessee in 1846, a daughter of Uriah and Sarah M. (Lewis) Tyson, natives of Tennessee. The fruits of this union have been
nine children, all living, viz: William Uriah (teaching school and living at home), James N., John R., Sarah A., Samuel E., Mary F., Martha B., Van
T. and Clara L. Mr. Moon owns 647 acres of land, of which 200 acres are under cultivation, and devotes his attention chiefly to the cultivation of
cotton and corn. He is also engaged in raising horses and cattle. Mrs. Moon is a consistent member of the Missionary Baptist Church. Socially
Mr. Moon is a member of the Masonic order, and politically, belongs to the Democratic party. He takes a great interest in politics, and is well
known throughout the county, where he is highly respected. Mr. Moon enlisted in June 1861, in the Third Arkansas Cavalry, in which he served
until the close of the war, through which he was color bearer and held the rank of third lieutenant. The principal battles in which he participated
were: Thompson's Station, Corinth, Iuka, Knoxville, Chickamauga, Atlanta, and others, following Sherman to the sea, east battle of Johnson's
Army at Smithville. He was wounded at Thompson's Station in the back of the neck, and returned home November 10, 1865. He was in all of the
battles of his brigade, with the exception of the skirmishes. He carried the colors of his regiment through the last three years of the war, and had
two flags shot to pieces in his hands, and many narrow escapes.